Something like that happened to a buddy of mine who played for Tech. Bud Carson was the coach then and he had notoriously vicious practices. My friend was a back-up fullback and got hurt in spring practice, needing surgery. When summer came he decided that, even though he had healed, he was through with football at Tech. So he went, as a paying ticket-holder, to Tech’s first game. On about the second play, the first string Tech fullback injures a knee and was out for the season. On the next series the second string fullback has a similar injury and also was out for the season. My friend had been third string fullback. He’s in the stands. Out trots a freshman from the sideline who ended up being the starter the rest of the year. I asked him why he didn’t just go to the coach the following week and volunteer to come back. He told me he hated Carson too much to do that.

Could not have happened exactly that way. Freshman were not eligible when Bud Carson coached. The third FB to play must have been a Soph, not a freshman. I believe the rest of the story, though.

Two similar. I remember when I was a kid in the 1960s and Tech was an independent it had a QB deep on the depth chart who was in the stands the first half. A couple of QBs got hurt and the PA announced called for him to go to the locker room and suit up. He played in the second half.

Also, last season UT had its top two Kickers hurt in warmups and Dooley sent the UT police to the 3rd stringer’ s frat house to get him and suit him up by kickoff.

As I said before, my glass is still half full. I know injuries might cripple us this year, but I also think the schedule sets up to get some leads in games and play some of the true freshmen in spot situations. Make them more comfortable on the field, build their confidence and let them adjust to SEC speed. I think all the adversity we have handled since last season gives us a chance to really shine this year. Go Dawgs

Cowherd ran down the top twenty five this morning ( yes, I like and listen ) and he commented on the question marks surrounding each team. There are areas with each team that raise serious questions. Depth, suspensions, unproven players at key positions and so on. Georgia isn’t the only team facing these concerns. Play the games and see which way the breaks go. Heaven knows its time for the breaks to fall our way.

i only saw this week that coach richt had compared theus to stafford and aj in his ability to make an instant impact. don’t know if i am more surprised that cmr said that, that that sort of magic can happen on the o-line in the sec, or that richt would put those sort of expectations on a kid.

Bloviation for the Dawgnation

Quote Of The Day

“It brings back a great Bulldog running back in Thomas who has NFL playing experience and has had success as a college coach at multiple schools. He also inherits a position that has been built to an elite level by Bryan. And it gives Bryan the opportunity to return to coaching the position he played and the one where he cut his teeth serving as a graduate assistant under wide receiver coach John Eason here at UGA. It also provides him with a new experience as a passing game coordinator.” -- Mark Richt, AB-H, 2/16/15